Tag / architecture

by shannonchance

Student-Centered and Urban: Architectural Education at IST

The second stop of my Fulbright Inter-Country Lecturing visit was to the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). One of the organizers of the day, José Figueiredo, explained to me that IST “is the biggest and oldest engineering school in Portugal.”

Professor Teresa Heitor lined up all kinds of fascinating events for me.  The 60 first year architecture students presented their work to me (in English!).  Then, they came along as their professors gave me a tour of all the architecture studios.  We got a glimpse of what these particular students will encounter in the coming years, as they progress through the five-year architecture program at IST.

Their architectural education will be structured very, very much like ours in the USA.

Their design assignments will be quite similar as well, although the projects students encounter here do tend to have more of an urban focus than most programs I’ve visited in the US.  (I serve on architectural accrediting teams and have visited many different schools in the US through conferences as well as accreditation visits.  I have to say, however, that my home institution–Hampton University–has done a noteworthy job over the past decade of integrating urbanism into the curriculum.  Of that, I have been proud.)

At IST, I was particularly impressed with what I learned from the first year professors.  They’re doing a great job overcoming what I see as a big weakness in architectural education today.  So many teachers around the globe focus on teaching students to make “signature buildings” and “modernist masterpieces” that other architects will love.

These teachers, instead, endeavor to draw out their students’ unique interests and abilities.  Unlike the many teachers who seemingly want to “wipe the slate clean”, these professors seek to help students draw from the wealth of experience and knowledge they bring to the first year design studio.

They do lots of collaborative design at IST…
…every year they have a week-long design event where teams of students work together to create a design like this…
…teams for that include one student from each year (1-5).
The first year architecture instructors here…
…do a great job implementing “student-centered” approaches to teaching…
…they try hard to avoid instilling their own aesthetic values in students.
On the other hand, they do instill values regarding urbanism…
…and urban design problems happen in each year of this architecture program.
The second year includes some classic assignments of analysis…
…and more intimately (i.e., smaller) scaled design problems.
In fifith year, students can do either an individual thesis, or an organized design studio (as shown here).
Here’s a project for third year where students analyzed famous buildings.
I also had the chance to meet with the many architecture PhD students at IST.
And learn about the research projects they are doing.
This student was fascinated by the beehive roofs in the town she spent holidays as a child…
…and today she is studying this topic for her dissertation.
At the end of the day, I delivered a lecture/workshop on research paradigms and group learning…
…to architecture and engineering teachers and doctoral-level students.
by shannonchance

A Warm Welcome to Lisbon at the Casa do Alentejo

One of the very best things about the Fulbright program is meeting knowledgable, energetic, and talented people like Bill Williams. He is a teacher at the Escola Superior de Tecnologia do Barreiro – Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal who is clearly dedicated to his students and to the craft of teaching.  He’s the kind of guy who works at the university all day then goes home and works on his research.

He’s even completing a PhD — for fun.  Can you believe anyone would do a thing like that?   😉

Nearly as soon as I hit the ground in Portugal, Bill provided me a short orientation complete with dinner at Casa do Alentejo — a place that epitomizes Lisbon. This restaurant is where Bill and his wife invited all their friends to celebrate their marriage.

The night Bill and I went there, a group of men was wandering through the halls singing traditional Portuguese songs.

So to give you a taste of my time in Lisbon, I’ve uploaded photos from that night… including the area around the Casa do Alentejo, some rooms of  the Casa itself, and others of the singing group that made it shine for our visit.

by shannonchance

Four Courts by Night

Ireland’s Four Courts building is so photogenic. The River Liffey sparkles with its reflections at night.  How I love this place!

View west toward Four Courts.
When the building was being re-built after it was damaged in a rebellion, the architect lifted the dome on top of a drum to emphasize it and make it more visible.
View toward St. Paul’s @ Smithfield.
View east toward Four Courts.
by shannonchance

The Elegant Archeology Museum of Ireland

The Archeology gallery of the National Museum of Ireland is a chock full of fascinating treasures.  The building itself is also remarkable.  I’ve enjoyed visiting this place with both Esther Sterchi and Amanda Bernhard (the famous Fulbright student).  Of particular interest at this museum: numerous bog bodies, “prehistoric” relics, the Viking exhibition, and the unimaginably long wooden boat that was carved from a single tree trunk (see the panorama below).

I love the design of the Museum. I wish I could see it without the skylight blocked out, though.

I love the design of the Museum. I wish I could see it without the skylight blocked out, though.

strairwell
iron columns
grand central space
by shannonchance

Upcoming Photo Exhibition in Dublin

I’ve got an exhibition of reflection photographs in the works for spring. It’s to occur during May at Notre Dame’s O’Connell House on St. Stephen’s Green.  Tuesday, I met to plan with Notre Dame’s Lisa Caulfield and Joseph Stranix as well as Fulbright’s Joanne Davidson.  I showed them some examples of my work and, thankfully,  got enthusiastic response. 🙂

It’s a big, beautiful space and I look forward to filling it with images.  It’s so much space, in fact, that I am hoping to include my two favorite photographers in the show. (I’m seeking final approval for that.)  I’ll keep you posted as plans progress.

It’s a gorgeous space, and I though you might enjoy seeing it pre-show:

Lisa and Joanne reviewing my photos from a past exhibition.
The view toward O’Connell House (it’s on the right, Marrion Square is to the left.)
Plaque inside the O’Connell House.
The fabulous and welcoming O’Connelll House.
I can hang photos in the entry hall…
…and the two large rooms on the first floor (that’s the second floor in American terminology).
A view of the two rooms.
View from the back room.
I’m not using this room, but I wanted to show it to you. So beautiful. The back wall is hung in “salon style.”
by shannonchance

Expanding your Learning Styles

Iroda Karimova said in earnest that she misses my crits! (!?!!??)

As per my prior post, Iroda Karimova said in earnest (while I was visiting the Hampton University Department of Architecture two weeks ago) that she misses my crits! (!?!!??)

Because I’m an active blogger I’m forever getting the question, “Do you ever work?”

The answer is yes; here’s a quick example.

My former student int he Department of Architecture at Hampton University, Iroda Karimova, emailed this to me from her smart phone today:

It was also nice to talk to you too. We haven’t see you for a while. I hope you are enjoying your oversea experience. I sometimes read your blogs, to see how you we doing.

Yes sometimes I wish I could hear your critiques, especially when I did good :). Your critiques were short, to the point, emphasizing important accomplishments, and sometimes not too enjoyable but helpful.
 
 Thank you for sending me this post.
 See you soon.
____
Whew! It sounds like I was doing my job correctly. Part of that  job is to help students learn to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. I’ve got to challenge them to address weaknesses I see. Effective teaching requires a careful balance of challenge and support (Sanford, 1962). I aim to provide that and to help students reach just a bit farther than they are comfortable doing (this is called a “plus-one” approach to teaching).
Good students, like Iroda, recognize that challenges are presented to help them grow and that the professor’s main role is to help guide them in their own learning. Receiving critique is never pain free, but it is necessary for growth and development.
Here’s the very quick reply I dashed off:
Thanks for your note, Iroda!  

 
You always do excellent work.  I wanted to make sure to help you reach for the stars, though.  You’re really terrific at technical ways of thinking.  As a second-year instructor, my job is to try to help students develop fluency in multiple ways of thinking… particularly the ways they find foreign or uncomfortable.

 
I’ve attached a chart to explain (it’s from a paper I was working on Tuesday). Most students come to college very good at one corner/quadrant of the chart. You were exceptionally good at Convergent thinking. I’d say you left second year with new skills in that realm, but more importantly, with new skills in the other three quadrants as well.
 
Cheers,
Shannon
_____
Below is a chart I made to describe Kolb’s (1984) theory. It is based on a similar chart published by Evens, Forney, and Guido-DiBrito (1998). You can read more in the paper I created for the National Conference on the Beginning Design Student (MADE Proceedings Chance Writing Architecture). If you reference it, please cite the source. The citation for the paper is:

CHANCE, S.M. (2010).Writing architecture: The role of process journals in architectural education. MADE: Design education and the art of making (160‐170). Charlotte, NC: College of Arts + Architecture. Presented at the 26th National Conference on the Beginning Design Student in Charlotte, NC.

Kolb chart by Shannon Chance

by shannonchance

A Visit to Bemis

Bemis lawn with Bemis Laboratories to the right, home of the Hampton University Department of Architecture.

Bemis lawn with Bemis Laboratories to the right, home of the Hampton University Department of Architecture.

I almost forgot to show you my January 2013 visit to Hampton University. The semester starts earlier there than at most universities, so I had the chance to visit before returning to Dublin, and while HU classes were in session. That way I could see my students as well as other professors.  I snapped some photos along the way of things that caught my eye….

Everything seemed the same, until I got to the main stair. I never expected to see a big photo of myself mounted in this prominent location!
I caught up with many of my former students. All these folks have travelled with me to Italy: Ed Glover, Alex Taylor, prof. Mason Andrews, and Sharlita Green.
Iroda Karimova said in earnest that she misses my crits! (!?!!??)
One of students garnered a donation of plotters from HP. Way to go!
This is the interior of the new student center…
…with its grande central stair wrapped by a third-floor track for running.
Our campus has such rich history — architecturally, socially, and culturally.
I wandered around campus delivering Christmas presents. Here’s our lovely Trustee House.
by shannonchance

Defining the Street in Dublin and Ballsbridge

Parnell Street

Parnell Street

In my opinion, good city buildings touch each other and define the street. They don’t have to be glamorous to make good urban fabric. When building work together, they create good spaces for people to enjoy.

I’ll give two quick examples of clearly defined streets. These two streets are near my apartment in Dublin. Unfortunately, they are both designed for cars–not people.  Nevertheless, the buildings work together to define space. On Parnell Street, the buildings support a good mix of uses and are close enough together to provide the density of population needed to support ground-floor retail. Residential density is lower a few blocks away, on North King, and ground-floor business are fledgling.

North King Street -- view toward the Jameson Distillery smokestack -- where density breaks down.

North King Street — view toward the Jameson Distillery smokestack — at the point where density breaks down.

Simply put, a proper mix of residential and office space is necessary to support ground floor restaurants and retail. By providing residential as well as working space, mixed-use districts are active throughout the day. Businesses can draw customers morning, noon, and night.

Having the right mix in your district ensures you’ll be able to get the services you need without getting in a car. (Oh, that we’d build this way in the States! Walkability is so rare in cities back home.)

I was reminded of all this last Thursday, when I travelled to the Fulbright office in Ballsbridge to help interview Fulbright applicants. It’s in the outskirts of Dublin. Although this is a suburban neighborhood, it is still dense by US standards. Notice that there’s more space between buildings in Ballsbridge than in Dublin city center, but that there’s still a good mix of uses/services. Nevertheless, some buildings contribute much more to the life of the street than others!

The American Embassy is located on the main street through Ballsbridge.
It acts like a fortress, guarded against and offering little to the street.
The older buildings do a much better job of defining the street and making places for people.
Overall, Ballsbridge offers an eclectic mix of buildings. Attached, single family homes snuggled up aside the neighborhood post office.
The new residential buildings serve to increase density. I’ve always liked this particular building with its heavy base and festive cladding.
It even fits decently among the buildings on its block.
Nearby, this building ignores the street entirely. It offers the pedestrian nothing and it makes no attempt to communicate with other buildings. What a dreary situation!
I had forgotten the sports staduim was so close to the Fulbright Office (which is just around the corner).
Like the Embassy, this is a fortress-type building…
…but at least it offers intrigue and a place to sit in the sun.
These single family homes are typical in Dublin. You’ll find them here in two-…
…as well as one-story versions.
by shannonchance

Silver Linings of Dublin

I'd never noticed this beautiful weathering panel on the Quay just east of the Four Courts. Lovely, isn't it?

I’d never noticed this beautiful weathering panel on the Quay just east of the Four Courts. Lovely, isn’t it?

I’d snuck in one last trip to see the nephews this past weekend while I was back in the States.  It was such fun, but I caught a bug that kept me in bed all day Monday.  That prevented me from wrapping up my writing in a timely fashion and packing for my return to Dublin.  I had to lean on my colleagues for help and then throw my bags together in the wee hours before my flight.

The resulting overweight bag set me back $200.  And, I arrived in Dublin sans Irish credit card, bus pass, et cetera.  I suppose those documents are at home in some very safe location.  Dave has been in bed with the bug today and hasn’t yet located them.  I spent the day pulling myself back together.

The sliver lining in this cloud is that a new bankcard is on the way.  And on my walk to withdrawal cash I discovered wonderful new delights of Dublin.

Leaving home, the plane flew right over my neighborhood (the gridded one in the foreground).
Leaving Newark, we flew smack over Manhattan. Had I been sitting on the other side, I’d have seen my sister’s apartment in Harlem. (From the runway here, you can see the Chrysler building just off the wing tip and the new Trade Tower on the right hand side.)
I love studying city and land patterns from the sky.
The Dublin airport is shiny and new…
…and it’s well linked to the city by two different bus lines. This one has a stop just four blocks form my apartment.
The parks of Dublin are stunningly green, even in the coldest of weather.
My bank (AIB) recently opened a new brach location on Capel Street…
…the security is so tight that even after you enter, you have to wait in line to go through a double security door. (Wish I’d left my cards here instead of some random safe place at home!)
I discovered a brand new vegan restaurant on Mary Street. It’s been open just two days. The gluten-free foods were tasty.
There was a bassoon player out on Henry Street. Double reeds in this cold weather? Burrr.
I found an alley I’d never passed through before. It led to a place I’d been during Dublin Open House — complete with anther emerald green park.
I captured a view of Dublin’s historic vegetable market before my camera battery gave up the ghost for the day. It must be feeling jet-lagged!
by shannonchance

Expedition into a Chance-y Dining Room

Glen, (Jamie), Mark, Marshall, Dave (and Shannon) gathered around the table for dessert.

Glen, (Jamie), Mark, Marshall, Dave (and Shannon) gathered around the table for dessert.

With the New Year, Dave and I rediscovered our dining room!

As architects, we’re constantly renovating our home. That means it’s usually in no shape to show. And as collector/artists, we tend to fill our space with papers, objects, frames, art and construction supplies, and other materials waiting to be incorporated into some design or other. To be more specific, the dining room in our house has served as Dave’s photographic archive for years. It’s been chock full of framed prints, storage shelves, packing materials, and the like.

Uncovering the room was a challenge and a thrill.

When Dave transferred his photographic archives from our dining room to his downtown studio we knew we had to celebrate.

Two 2012 accomplishments aided our celebration: (1) last fall, Dave installed enough new porch flooring for guests to access the front door, and (2) in July, I had our dining room table re-built (to overcome structural damage that resulted from the tripod-leg design combined with old age).

So although we hadn’t hosted a dinner party in around five years, we decided to give it a go.

The cats were thrilled — they love to meet people and entertain!

We planned a fairly simple meal and invited over some friends who’ve hosted us for dinner more times that I can count: Marshall & Glen McClure and Jamie & Mark Lewis. Together (we six people and four cats), made an expedition into the unknown space.  I’m happy to report that we had a blast.  Everything turned out well and we look forward to more expeditions into the room next fall….

Shannon assembled hors d’ouvrés….
…Dave cooked up a tasty meal…
…and Dave’s selection for dessert (Liberte yogurt!?!!) was a hit with everyone.
Dave, Glen, and Jamie, clarifying our position on the globe. (Notice Glen’s photos of Mayo, Ireland on the wall behind.)
Lucca (and Pisa, Pescia, and Siena) loved the attention!